Israeli Actor Israel Atias: "Shabbat Doesn't Need Me — I Need Shabbat"

"The word 'religious' puts me in a box. Why do we need to label people? I enjoy being a Jew and an Israeli who is connected to tradition, who makes Kiddush on Shabbat. The Master of the Universe isn't looking for us to be robots. For me, religion and faith are not a burden — they are wings."

These were the words of Israeli actor Israel Atias in a recent interview with Israel Hayom.

Atias shared that he has recently increased the amount of Torah learning in his daily routine.

"I study Torah and Chassidut to clear my mind of all the external noise," he said. "Rabbi Nachman and the Baal Shem Tov give me philosophical tools. Their teachings help me stay balanced."

"As I Get Older, I Become More Spiritual"

When asked about his faith, Atias explained that his spiritual growth has become one of the central focuses of his life.

"My main goal is to work on joy, inner calm, and learning to let go," he said. "Everything comes down to faith and trust in God, and those are the natural results of my Torah learning."

He added that with age comes a deeper search for meaning.

"As you get older, you become more spiritual. The soul begins asking questions, and I'm searching for my own answers. That's also one of the reasons I live in Yavne. All the background noise simply doesn't interest me."

"Shabbat Is What Protects Me"

Several years ago, Atias revealed that he was in the midst of a journey of returning to religious observance — a process that began while he was portraying an ultra-Orthodox character on screen.

"My parents raised us with tradition, values, and faith," he recalled. "Our home always had deep respect for Jewish tradition, the holidays, Shabbat, and Kiddush."

At the age of 22, he made the decision to begin observing Shabbat.

"I think Shabbat is the greatest gift I've ever received," he said. "When people ask me whether I keep Shabbat, I tell them that Shabbat is what keeps me."

"It gives me uninterrupted time with my family. That's exactly what I need. And we haven't even mentioned disconnecting from the phone. That alone is an incredible gift."